Kirklees probation services rated ‘inadequate’ following inspection

This inspection of the Kirklees Probation Delivery Unit (PDU) was led by HM Inspector Yvonne McGuckian and supported by a team of inspectors and colleagues from across the HM Inspectorate of Probation.

Following the inspection probation service across Kirklees were rated as 'inadequate', with staff workloads described as 'overwhelming'.

Justin Russell, chief inspector of probation, said: “While we identified some progress, such as in partnership working and in building a positive working culture, difficulties in recruiting staff and high workloads mean that this progress is not yet having the desired effect on frontline practice.

“Assessment, planning, delivery of services and reviewing were all assessed as ‘Inadequate’, and this has driven the overall rating of the service as ‘Inadequate’.

“A priority for the management team is to provide high levels of support to staff, to prevent burnout and retain staff. My inspectors saw that wellbeing and staff care were the clear focus for leaders. However, despite the significant investment in staff welfare, high workloads and the impact of vacancies remain very challenging.

“Workloads are overwhelming for staff and that, coupled with a lack of clear understanding of the prioritisation framework, is leading to backlogs and an inconsistent approach to sentence management.

“Over 40 per cent of cases had yet to have an assessment made and only just over a third of inspected cases were satisfactory in relation to the assessment of potential risks of harm, with some of the assessments underestimating the exact nature of risk.”

Kirklees PDU is responsible for approximately 2,000 people on probation, and for working with 1,500 victims. When fully staffed the PDU will have 112 staff, but there are some significant staffing vacancies. The reports says that while there is a head of service and eight senior probation officers, there is no deputy allocated to this PDU.

Probation services are delivered from two main sites including Church House in Huddersfield and from Albion Street in Dewsbury which, at the time of the inspection, was due to reopen following an extensive refurbishment.

Mr Russell added: “While there are examples of good and effective practice, we did not find these in enough of the cases we assessed.

“There is an immediate priority to ensure everyone on supervision has an initial assessment so that risks and needs are identified.

“Line managers were not routinely auditing the quality of practitioner work and management oversight was insufficient or absent in almost two thirds of the cases we inspected.

“We found some elements of innovation and strong partnership working; these include good relationships with the local courts and sentencers, ready access to domestic abuse information, improving relationships with children’s social care and the development of housing provision for people with addiction.

“Given these strengths it is disappointing not to see the value of these reflected in the cases we inspected.

“The findings from this PDU are not a reflection of the commitment of frontline staff, but the result of insufficient staffing to manage the local workload and a failure to ensure experienced managers and peers are available and positioned to support service delivery.

“Every effort must be made to ensure this and every PDU can operate sufficiently and safely.”

Following this inspection the inspectorate made 12 recommendations. Seven of these were made to the Kirklees PDU itself.

Of these recommendations the inspectorate suggested that Kirklees PDU recognise the stress staff are under and has suggested management support these individuals emotional and mental wellbeing until workloads are reduced.

The Inspectorate also wants to see complete robust risk assessments completed in all cases, all initial assessments and sentence planning undertaken as a priority and information relating to child safeguarding routinely obtained and used to support effective risk management.

This probation inspection was one of four carried out in Yorkshire and the Humber region.

The other three included Sheffield PDU (rated 'Inadequate'), Hull and East Riding PDU (rated 'Requires improvement') and North and North East Lincolnshire PDU (rated 'Requires improvement').